I purchased four tickets advertised for £84 each (£336) from StubHub, but was charged £396. The full charge plus fees was only apparent when I received the email confirmation.
I immediately called StubHub but it would not refund the transaction. I would not have purchased the tickets at this price had I realised.
I then wrote to the company advising that by law ticket sellers must provide clear, honest information about prices. I also contacted the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), which concluded that StubHub was in breach of the advertising code and would be given “guidance”, but the ASA couldn’t insist on a refund. AG, London
I see that on the StubHub website, small print below the ticket price mentions that unspecified service charges will apply. On the payment page you have to click on a link at the side of the total to find out why the final bill is so much more than the sum price of the tickets.
StubHub, part of eBay, certainly seems coy about admitting the extent of its charges, which is not surprising since these can be as high as 20% of the ticket price. Such coyness flouts the CAP Code which governs advertising and states that all compulsory fees must be included in the ticket price, and that merely mentioning the existence of unspecified fees is not enough.
But StubHub denies any wrongdoing. “We make it clear at various stages in the buying process that there are additional service fees added on to the price of the ticket, and that such disclosures comply with applicable laws,” a spokesperson says.
The company goes on to explain that it used to display the full cost of the transaction in the headline ticket price, but such transparency made it look more expensive than its competitors.
As for the breathtakingly high level of these fees, it says this is to help provide “a safe and convenient ticketing marketplace”, and to fund a guarantee that offers replacements or refunds if there’s a problem with a ticket.
The ASA said that as the advertised price for tickets did not include an additional fee that would be added at the end of the booking process, it was likely to be a problem under the advertising code.
“We approached StubHub and provided advice on how to amend its prices in line with the rules as well as signposting where it can get help and further guidance. The advertiser was expected to take account of the advice and, on that basis, we did not consider that further action was needed,” an ASA statement said.
If you need help email Anna Tims at your.problems@observer.co.uk or write to Your Problems, The Observer, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Include an address and phone number.
